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SERMON. 

PREACHED ON THE 

ANNUAL THANKSGIVING 

IN 

MASSACHUSETTS. " 

November 27, 1800. 

By NATHANAEL EMMONS, d. d. 

Paftor of the Churcn in Franklin. 

♦^•xxxxxxrxx^xxxxxxxx^ 



WRENTHAM, (Mass.) 

Printed By NATHANIEL HEATON, Jun. 

— xx^xx— ' 

• 1 801. 







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fitttitiiititttiWtititiiitiitiii 

A 

SERMON. 

♦^*xxxx^xxxx*4» 

I. Samuel xii. 22. 

For the Lord will not forfake his peopled/or his great 
name's fake : becaufe it hath pleafedthe Lord to make 
you his people. 

X HE children of Ifrael, having long 
experienced the evils of anarchy and confufion, 
earneftly requefted Samuel to make them a king. 
Though this requeft was difpleafing to God as well 
as to Samuel, yet God directed Samuel to anoint 
Saul to reign over his people. At this critical junc- 
ture of public affairs, Nahafh the Ammonite came 
with an army into Judea, and encamped againft Ja- 
befh-Gilead. The inhabitants of the city were wil- 
ling, at firft, to capitulate upon reasonable terms; but 
Nahafh infilled on the hard condition, that they 
fhould tamely fuffer him to pluck out all their right 
eyes, K and lay it for a reproach upon all Ifrael." 
This inhuman propofal the Elders of Jabefh reje&ed 
with proper difdain, and demanded a truce for feven 
days. In that interval, they fent to Saul for imme- 
diate afliftance, who, in a high tone of authority, 

commanded 



commanded all the fighting* men in the kingdom to 
appear in the field. They readily obeyed the man- 
date of their new Sovereign, and came with one con- 
fent, to the amount of three hundred and thirty 
thoufand. At the head of this numerous hoft, Saul 
attacked, and completely deftroyed the whole army 
of the Ammonites. While this fignal vi&ory was 
fpreading joy through all Judea, Samuel invited the 
tribes of Ifrael to repair to Gilgal, and renew the 
kingdom there. Accordingly we are told, " All the 
people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king 
before the Lord in Gilgal: and there they facrificed 
facrifices of peace-offerings before the Lord : and 
there Saul and all the men of Ifrael rejoiced great- 
ly." Many individuals, however, felt very differ- 
ently on that occafion, and efpecially Samuel, who 
knew the charafter of Saul, and was apprized of the 
evils which the nation would fuffer during his un- 
happy reign. Accordingly he took that favorable 
opportunity, to refign all his civil offices, which he 
had long and faithfully difcharged ; to make fome 
juft obfervations on the late revolution of govern- 
ment ; and to remind the people of the great things 
which God had done for them, and which, he tells 
them in the text, gave them juft ground of hope and 
confidence in their prefent critical fituation. " The 
Lord will not forfake his people, for his great name's 
fake : becaufe it hath pleafed the Lord to make you 

his people." This was a natural and juft way of rea- 

foning. 



foning. Samuel had a right to conclude from the 
perfe&ion of the divine chara&er, that God would, 
by a wife and confiftent courfe of conduct, event- 
ually anfwer the ends he propofed, in making the 
children of Ifrael his peculiar people. And the 
fame mode of reafoning is ftill equally juft and con- 
clufive. As far as God has been pleafed to make 
any nation his peculiar people, fo far that peoplp 
have reafon to expeft, that he will not forfake them. 
Hence the fpirit of the text fuggefts this general 
obfervation : 

That fince God has been pleafed to make our na- 
tion his peculiar people, he will not forfake us. 

In illuftrating this fubjeft, it is neceffary to con- 
fider how God has made us his peculiar people, and 
what grounds we have to hope, that he will not for- 
fake us. 

I. Let us confider how God has made our nation 
his peculiar people. 

Here it may be proper to premife, that God has 
never taken us into a federal relation to himfelf, as 
he did the children of Ifrael. He made a public 
and mutual compaft with them, in which he avouch- 
ed them to be his people, and they avouched him to 
be their God. But though God never entered into 
fuch a national covenant with us or with our fathers; 
yet he has been pleafed, in various other ways, to 

make us his peculiar people. 

It 



1. It hath pleafed the Lord to feparate us in a pe- 
culiar manner, from other nations. It was by fuch 
a reparation, that he made the feed of Abraham his 
peculiar people. " I am the Lord your God, which 
have feparated you from other people" This circum- 
ftance Solomon pleads in their favor, while inter- 
ceding for them before God, at the dedication of 
the temple. "Thou didjl feparate them from among 
all the people of the earth, to be thine inheritance, 
as thou fpakeft by the hand of Mofes thy fervant, 
when thou broughteft our fathers out of Egypt.'* 
And Mofes makes ufe of the fame circumftance to 
enforce their obedience to the divine commands. 
" Or hath God efTayed to go, and to take him a na* 
tionfrom the midfl of another nation, by temptations* 
by figns, and by wonders, and by war, and by a 
mighty hand, and by a ftretched out arm, and by 
great terrors, according to all that the Lord your 
God did for you in Egypt before your eyes ?" Here 
we may difcover a very great analogy between our 
feparation, and that of the Ifraelites. Were they 
taken from the midft of another nation ? fo were 
we. Were they planted in the midft of a barbarous 
and idolatrous people ? fo were we. Were they 
conduced to the place of their deftination, by extra- 
ordinary interpofitions of providence ? fo were we. 
Did they become a peculiar people, by their pecul- 
iar feparation from other nations ? fo did we. God's 
taking our fathers from their native country, and 

bringing 



bringing them a thoufand leagues acrofs the mighty- 
ocean to this then dreary wildernefs, was praflically 
fetting them apart for himfelf, and making them his 
peculiar people. 

2. It hath pleafed the Lord to make us the ob- 
jefls of his peculiar care and prote&ion. Thus he 
diftinguifhed his ancient chofen people. While he 
6xed his heart and eye upon them, he fpread over 
them the broad wing of his providence. Of this we 
have a beautiful defcription in the thirty-fecond 
chapter of Deuteronomy. " The Lord's portion is 
his people, Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. He 
found him in a defert land, and in the wafte howling 
wildernefs; he led him about, he inftrufted him, he 
kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle ftir- 
reth up her neft, fluttereth over her young, fpread- 
eth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on 
her wings; fo the Lord alone did lead them, and 
there was no ftrange god with him. He made him 
ride on the high places of the earth, that he might 
eat of the increafe of the fields; and he made him 
fuck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty 
rock." God difplayed the wonders of his goodnefs 
to his people, not only while they were in Egypt, at 
the Red Sea, and in the wildernefs; but all the 
while they remained in the land of promife. They 
were planted in the midft of the nations, and fur- 
rounded by enemies far and near. The Egyptians 
and Chaldeans were their diftant enemies, while the 

refidue 



refidue of the Canaanites remained as pricks in their 
eyes and thorns in their fides. But God gracioufly 
guarded them on every hand, by both a vifible and 
invifible providence; and made it appear to the 
world, that they were his peculiar people. Hence 
Balaam, who was employed to curfe them, was con- 
ftrained to fay, " How fhall I curfe whom God hath 
not curled ? or how fhall I defy whom the Lord 
hath not defied ? For frotn the top of the rocks I 
fee him, and from the hills I behold him : lo, the 
people (halt dwell alone, and fhall not be reckoned 
among the nations. Surely there is no enchantment 
againft Jacob, neither is there any divination againft 
Ifrael." Though no proper miracles were wrought 
in favor of our fathers ; yet God afforded them, as 
he did the Ifraelites, his peculiar prefence and pro- 
tedion. He caufed their enemies, at firft, to flee 
before them ; and afterwards, when they flood in 
perifhing need of their help, he put it into their 
hearts to fupply their wants. He fent, from time 
to time, the peftilence and the fword among the Na- 
tives, by which they were gradually diminifhed, and 
effe&ually reftrained from doing mifchief. While, 
on the other hand, he caufed our fathers, who were 
a few individuals, to fpread far and wide, and mul- 
tiply into a great and powerful people; and at length 
to become a free and independent nation, notwith- 
ftanding all attempts to deftroy them. J$y fuch a 

feries 



feries of fignal interpofitions in our favor, God has 
vifibly owned us, and marked us for himfelf, in the 
view of furrounding nations. It mull be added, 

3, The Lord has been pleafed to form us for his 
peculiar ferVice, by making usj from the beginning, a 
religious people. The Ifraelites were more eminently 
the people of God on account of religion, than on 
any other account ; yea, in that refpeft, they were the 
only people of God in the world. They were fepa- 
rated from the reft of mankind, for the great pur- 
pofe of preferving and propagating the true religion^ 
in oppofition to the attempts of all other nations, to 
fpread fuperflition and idolatry over the face of the 
earth. Hence God told them by the mouth of Mo- 
fes, "Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, 
and the Lord hath chofen thee to be a peculiar people 
unto nimfelf, above all the nations that are upon the 
earth." And again he faid by Jeremiah, that " he had 
planted them a noble vine wholly a right feed." Their 
anceftors, Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, were eminently 
holy, and prepared the way for the continuance and 
prevalence of vital piety among their diftant pofter- 
ity, until they were formed into a religious nation, 
and furnifhed with peculiar means of grace. "Be- 
hold'' fays Mofes, "I have taught you ftatutes and 
judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded 
me, that ye fhould do fo in the land whether ye go 
to poflefs it : Keep therefore and do them : for this 

pour wifdom and understanding in the fight of the 
B nations 



to 

nations which (ball bear all thefe ftatutes, and fay* 
Surely this great nation is a wife and underftanding 
people. For what nation is there [o great, who hath 
God fo nigh them as the Lord our God is in all 
things that we call upon him for. And what na- 
tion is there fo great, that hath ftatutes and judg- 
ments fo righteous as all this Iaw T , which I fet before 
you this day ?' Thus God formed his ancient pe- 
culiar people of religious chara61ers and for a re- 
ligious purpofe. And did he not form our nation 
of fimilar chara&ers, and for a fimilar purpofe? 
Did not our fathers refemble the ancient patriarchs 
in fincere and fervent piety? Did they not leave 
their native country, and facrifice their deareft tern- 
poral interefls, for the fake of enjoying and pro- 
moting real religion in this dark corner of the earth ? 
Did not the fpirit and principles of religion gcwern 
them in their public as well as private tranfa&ions ? 
Did they not make ample provifion for maintaining 
the public worfhip of God among themfeives ? Did 
they not ufe all the means in their power to civilize 
and chriftianize the native favages? Did they not 
lay broad and permanent foundations for the pro- 
motion of religion and the difFufion of chriftian 
knowledge to the lateft generations? In a word, 
was not our nation formed for religious purpofes, 
founded on religious principles, and highly diftin- 
guifned by religious advantages? And in this way 
did not God vifibly fet us apart as his own peculiar 

people ? 



11 

people ? *If we trace the uniform conducl of God 
towards us, from the day our forefathers landed on 
thefe inhofpitable (liores to the prefent moment, it 
will appear, that he has done more to raife us up, to 
preferve and deliver us, to make us holy and happy, 
and to fit us for his fervice in building up his king- 
dom, than he has done for any other nation fince 
the chriftian era. And notwithftanding our prefent 
degeneracy in morals and religion, we even now ap- 
pear in the eyes of all the world, as God's peculiar 
and favorite people. I proceed as propofed, 

II. To fhow what ground we have to hope, that 
God will not forfake lis. 

It appears from the preceding obfervations, that 
he has done a great deal to form us for himfelf. He 
Separated the founders of our nation from their 
friends and from their country. He carried them 
through the dangers of the fea, and planted them 
here in a howling wildernefs. He prote&ed them a- 
midft favage foes, and guarded them againft foreign 
enemies. He granted them great and peculiar reli- 
gious advantages. He enlarged their borders, in- 
creafed their numbers, and caufed them to grow up 
into a large and wealthy people. He carried them 
through a long and dangerous war, and finally made 
them a free, feparate, independent nation. For almoft 
two centuries, he has been forming and owning us, 
as his peculiar people. And does not this give us 
ground to hope, that he will not forfake us? Can 
we fuppofe, that he would fpend fo much time and 

employ 



12 

employ fo many means, to make us his peculiar peo~ 
pie; without fome wife and weighty reafons ? And 
whatever thofe reafons were, can we fuppofe, that 
they will permit him to forfake us, until he has com- 
pletely anfwered his purpofes. We may fafely rea- 
fon in the language of the text, " The Lord will not 
forfake us, for his great name's fake : becaufe it hath 
pleafed the Lord to make us his people." Here, then, 
to give this argument its full force, I would obferve, 
1. God will not forfake us; becaufe he loved and 
refpefted our fathers. His peculiar regard to them 
was one motive for making us his peculiar people. He 
felefted and diftinguifhed Ifrael, for the fake of their 
pious and amiable anceftors. This Mofes endeavor- 
ed to imprefs upon their minds. « The Lord did not 
fet his love upon you, nor choofe you, becaufe ye 
were more in number than any people : for ye were 
the feweft of all people : But becaufe the Lord lov- 
ed you, and becaufe he would keep the oath he had 
fworn to your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out 
with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the 
houfe of bond-men, from the hand of Pharaoh king 
of Egypt." Again he fays, " Only the Lord had a de- 
light in your fathers to love them, and he chofe their, 
feed after them, even you above all people, as it is 
this day." There is reafon to believe, that the Lord 
loved the fathers of our nation as really, if not fo 
ardently, as he loved the ancient patriarchs. Like 

them, 



?3 

them, they felt and a&ed as pilgrims and ftrangers 
on the earth; and, while they fought this country, 
they more earneftly fought a better, that is, a heav- 
enly. They were men of extraordinary piety and 
devotion, and made religion their main bufinefs. 
They called upon God in feafon, and out of feafon, 
and prefented ten thoufand petitions to the throne of 
divine grace, for their neareft and remoteft pofteri- 
ty. As the effe6);ual, fervent prayers of fuch right- 
eous men, muft have been pleafing to God; fo they 
give us ground to hope, that he will long remember 
our land, and not forfake the children of thofe 5 
•vhom he delighted to love. 

2. We are encouraged to hope, that God will not 
forfake us, becaufe he loves the pious pofterity of 
our pious anceftors. God often fpared the whole 
Jewifh nation, for the fake of thofe pious individu- 
als, who remained heartily attached to his caufe and 
intereft. Ifaiah fays 5 " Except the Lord of hofts 
had left unto us a very fmall remnant, we fhould 
have been as Sodom, and we fiiould have been like 
unto Gomorrah." Though the body of the nation 
often fell into great declenfions, yet there was always 
a number of Ifraelites indeed, who were fincere and 
zealous friends to religion. Thefe God gracioufly 
regarded, and, for their fakes, often averted, or re- 
moved defolating judgments. We find feveral fhin- 
ing chara&ers exprefsly mentioned, who were pow_ 
£rful and prevailing interceflbrs for a degenerate 

people. 



M 

people. " Mofes and Aaron among his priefts, and 
Samuel among them that call upon his name : they 
called upon the Lord, and he anfwered them." If 
God was pleafed to fpare his ancient people, for the 
fake of eminent faints, why will he not fpare our 
guilty nation, for the fake of men of the fame excel- 
lent charafter ? Notwithftanding our great degene- 
racy, there arc undoubtedly many thoufands of fin- 
cere friends to God in our land, who are heartily en- 
gaged to maintain not only the form, but the power 
and fpirit of religion. Thefe are, at prefent, the or- 
naments of our churches and the defence of our 
country. And as long as a fucceffion of thefe god- 
ly men (hall remain, we have reafon to hope, that 
the Lord will fpare us from national ruin. 

3. We may confidently hope not to be forfaken 
by God, becaufe he may ftill anfwer very important 
purpofes, by preferving and treating us, as his pecul- 
iar people. One end may be, to make it appear to 
the world, that he is able to proteft a nation, whom 
he has fet apart for himfelf, againft their moft pow- 
erful and fubtile enemies. His ancient peculiar 
people were expofed to peculiar opposition. All 
nations were their enemies, and in their turn at- 
tempted to deftroy them. Hence his own glory re- 
quired him to ftiew himfelf ftrong in their behalf, 
and bear them as on eagle's wings above the united 
oppofition of all their enemies. This Samuel fug- 
gefts in the text. " The Lord will not forfake his 

people, 



*5 

people,/^ his great names fake'' Mofes makes ufe 
of the fame argument to prevail upon God, not to 
treat them according to their defert, and entirely 
cut them off. "Now if thou fhalt kill all this peo- 
ple as one man, then the nations which have heard 
the fame of thee, will fpeak, faying, Becaufe the Lord 
was not able to bring this people into the land which he 
fzvare unto them 9 therefore he hathjlain them in the wil- 
derncfs" And Jofhua pleads, that God would not* 
for his own fake, fuffer the enemies of Ifrael to de- 
ftroy them. " O Lord, what fhall I fay, when If- 
rael turneth their back before their enemies ! For 
the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land 
fhall hear of it, and fhall environ us round, and cut 
off our name from the earth : and what wilt thou do un- 
to thy great name ?" The glory of God was deeply 
concerned to preferve the feed of Abraham, whom 
he had been pleafed to make his people. And fince 
he has been pleafed to diftinguifh us in a fimilar man- 
ner, his own glory is now concerned to prote£l us a- 
midft the tumults and revolutions of contending na- 
tions. He can, and we have reafon to hope, he will, 
difplay the glory of his great name, in holding us up 
in the view of the world, as the objefts of his pecu- 
liar care and prote&ion. 

But there is another important end which God 
may anfwer, by continuing us his peculiar people; 
and that is, to maintain the true religion in the world, 

whilft 



i6 

whilft it is vifibly expiring among all other nations. 
God was pleafed to preferve the Jews two thoufand 
years, for the purpofe of maintaining the true reli- 
gion, amidft the errors and corruptions, which had 
overfpread the world. During that long period of 
darknefs, they were the only people on earth, who 
retained the true worfhip of God, and fafely pre^- 
ferved the facred books of divine Infpiration. Had 
they been deftroyed before the Mefliah came, the 
light of divine truth might have been totally extin- 
gliifhed. So, unlefs it pleafe God to continue us 
his peculiar people, it feems, that the light of the 
gofpel and the means of religion may be, in a few 
years, entirely loft. Pagan idolatry and Mahometan 
fuperftition have long excluded chriftianity from A- 
fia and Africa. Atheifm, deifm, and every fpecies 
of infidelity are rapidly prevailing in Europe, and 
involving the moft enlightened nations in all the hor* 
rors of moral darknefs. America, therefore, feems 
to be the only place, where the Church can live, and 
religion maintain its ground. Here the laws of the 
land, as well as the education and habits of the peo- 
ple, are in favor of chriftianity. Here religious fov 
cieties and congregations generally enjoy the ordi- 
nances of the gofpel and the means of grace. Here 
there feems to be nothing to obftrucl the prevalence 
of religion but the native corruption of the human 
heart. This God can remove at his pleafure, by 
pouring out his Spirit upon us, as he did from time 

to / 



*7 

to time upon his ancient peculiar people. We are, 
in every view, better fituated, better qualified, and 
better diTpofed than any other nation in the world, 
to preferve and propagate the pure religion of 
Chrift : This is certainly a very important end to be 
anfwered by our prefervation. And as long as God 
can promote his own glory and the interefts of his 
kingdom, by our inftrumentality, we may fafely con- 
clude he will not give us up to national ruin. Or 
•to ufe the language of the text, we have good ground 
to hope, " the Lord will not forfake us, for his great 
name's fake : becaufe it hath pleafed the Lord to 
make us his people. " 

Let me now apply this leading fentiment agreeably 
to the defign of the day, and the prefent ftate of our 
religion and government. 

1. If God will continue to own us as his peculiar 
people; then we may confide in his wifdom and good- 
nefs, to defeat the defigns of thofe, who attempt to 
deftroy our national peace and profperity. We are 
greatly expofed to foes without and to foes within. 
The European nations are fiercely engaged in war, 
and feem determined to draw us into their fatal con- 
tentions. They have for years been ufing every 
political art and intrigue, to undermine our religion 
and government. And though their defigns have 
been dete&ed and oppofed, yet they have fucceed- 
ed fo far as to poifon our fentiments, to diftrafi our 
C councils 



i8 

councils, no injure our commerce, and to diminifli 
the ftrengfh of the nation. Thefe evils, great in 
tliemfelves, are greatly enhanced, by our prefent 
flate of doubtful expectation, whether a profefTed 
Atheift, or a profeiTed Chriftian, will be raifed to 
the firft feat of our genera] government. But if the 
God of our fathers be our God, then we may juftly 
expect, that he will, in due time, diffipate the dark 
clouds, which are gathering over us, and prevent 
the ruin, with which we are threatened. He can 
and will protect his own people againft the united 
oppofition of the whole world. He has the hearts, 
and tongues, and pens of our enemies in his power, 
and can either mediately or immediately counteraft 
all their malignant effe&s. He can open our eyes 
to fee the danger of civil and religious delufions, 
and caufe us to purfue our true interefts, in oppofi- 
tion to all foreign influence. In fuch a divine pro- 
teftor we may fafely confide. But we have no ground 
to truft in ourfelves, for abundant evidence has been 
exhibited, in the courfe of a few years, that we are 
as liable to imbibe infidelity, and atheifm, and to run 
into anarchy and confufion, as the nations of Eu- 
rope, If God (hould forfake us, we fliould foon be 
deftroyed by others, or deftroy ourfelves. But yet 
w r e have great encouragement to hope, that while he 
is making a full end of other nations, he will not 
make a full end of us, becaufe he has been pleafed 
to make us his people. ~ 



g. If God Will notforfake us; then he will enlarge 
us, and make us an exceedingly great and flourishing 
nation. He made his ancient people extremely nu- 
merous, rich, and powerful. Agreeably to his pro- 
mife, he fet them at the head of all other nations, who 
dreaded their power, courted their favor, revered 
their laws and religion, and were aftonifhed at their 
fuperior profperity and happinefs. And if God will 
not forfake our nation, but only treat us, in time to 
come, as he has done in times paft, we (hall foon 
rife fuperior to every other kingdom on earth, in 
numbers, in wealth, in ftrength, and in every thing 
that human power and art can efFe£t. If our pref- 
ent enterprizing fpirit continues to operate, and the 
fmiles of heaven continue to attend our vigorous 
exertions, we fhall in a very fhort time have the 
pofTefljon and dominion of this whole weftern world* 
It feems to be the defign of Providence to diminifh 
other nations, and to increafe and ftfengthen ours* 
The nations of Europe are deftroying one another, 
by millions, year after year; and, though they may 
ceafe hoftilities for a feafon, yet there is no profpeft 
of their eftablifhing permanent peace> Their cor- 
rupt fentiments in religion and morals, and their dis- 
organizing principles in politics, will naturally in- 
creafe their difcords and contentions, and gradually 
prepare them for final ruin. One war after another 
will probably " gather them to the battle of that great 

day 



20 

day of God Almighty .* Hence, there is great rea- 
fon to believe, that God is about to transfer the em- 
pire of the world from Europe to America, where 
he has planted his peculiar people. And fhould 
this be the defign of Heaven, we (hall undoubtedly 
continue to fpread and increafe, until we become 
the moft numerous and powerful nation on earth. 

3. If God will not forfake us, but own us, as his 
peculiar people ; then it is to be expe&ed, that he 
will take effe&ual care to maintain the caufe of re- 
ligion among us. This will be neceffary to promote 
our profperity, and to prepare us to anfwer his chief 
defign, in making us his peculiar people. The caufe 
of religion is now in a languifhing ftate. The num- 
ber is fmall, who publicly appear on the Lord's fide; 
and the number is flill fmaller, who are warmly at- 
tached to the interefts of his kingdom. The wor- 
fliip of God in public and in private is much neglect- 
ed. The holy fabbath is openly abufed, and bold- 
ly profaned. The important doftrines of the gofpel 
are greatly difrelifhed, difputed, and oppofed. A- 
theifm, deifm, infidelity, and every fpecies of moral 
corruption, are pouring in upon us, from every 
quarter. All thefe caufes are unitedly operating, to 
extinguish the light of divine truth, and to throw us 
into more than pagan darknefs. But if God means 
to acknowledge us, as his peculiar people, he will 
maintain and revive his finking caufe among us. He 

treated 



21 

■ ■ii. ■ m 

treated his peculiar people of old in this manner. 
They were often corrupted in their religion and mor- 
als, by corrupt and idolatrous nations. But as long 
as he vifibly owned them, he took effe&ual care to 
reclaim them, time after time, from their deep de- 
clenfions. He raifed up pious prophets and priefts, 
to warn them of their danger, and inftruft them in 
duty. He raifed up pious princes to cut down their 
groves, and deftroy their idols. And he poured out 
his Spirit, to bring them to the love and pra&ice of 
the true religion. God is ftill able to maintain his 
own caufe among his own people. He can raife up 
ruiers, who fhall cordially embrace the gofpel, and 
effe&ually protefl our churches in the full enjoyment 
of all their religious privileges. He can put it into 
the hearts of minifters to preach the gofpel in all its 
purity and fimplicity, and faithfully difcharge all the 
duties of their facred office. And he can pour out 
his fpirit upon atheifts, deifts, infidels, and all claffes 
of finners ; and make them the inftruments of pro- 
moting the caufe, which they wifh to deftroy. Thefe 
are means, which he has employed, to preferve us 
from total apoftacy. He has raifed up many pious 
rulers and faithful minifters among us, and often 
poured out his fpirit in great abundance. He has 
lately revived religion in one place and another, and 
made large additions to fome of our churches. And 
there is reafon to believe, that he will continue to 

pour 



22 

pour out his Spirit in ftitl larger and larger effufions* 
until the latter day glory fhall commence in this wef- 
tern world. Notwithftanding, therefore, the prefent 
triumph of vice and infidelity, we may confidently 
hope, that our churches will live, increafe, and flour- 
ifh till the end of time. This God will do for us, for 
his great name's fake. 

4. If God intends to own and build us up, as his 
favorite people ; then he has much for us to do, in 
carrying into execution his gracious defigns. This is 
probably the laft peculiar people, which he means to 
form, and the lad great empire which he means to 
ere£i, before the kingdoms of this world are abforbed 
in the kingdom of ChriR. And if he intends to 
bring about thefe great events, he will undoubtedly 
make ufe of human exertions. Though in former 
ages he employed miracles to effe6l his purpofes ; 
yet he now carries on all his defigns, by the inftru- 
mentality of fecond caufes. Hence we have no 
ground to expeQ; to be made a great and happy peo- 
ple, without our own labor and exertions, God em- 
ployed the feed of Abraham as inftruments of raif- 
ing themfelves to that national profperity and happi- 
nefs, which he had long before promifed the father of 
the faithful. The children of Ifrael, after they took 
pofTeflion of the land of promife, were called to great 
exertions, in order to reach that perfe&ion in religion 

and 



23 

and government, which placed them at the head of 
the world. It was a work of time and difficulty to 
conquer their enemies, and to extend their own fet- 
tlements to the utmoft limits, which God had preferr- 
ed. It was a work of vaft labor and expence, to pre- 
pare a place for the feat of their religion and govern- 
ment, and to ereft a magnificent Temple for the vif- 
ible refidence of the invifible Deity, whom they ac- 
knowledged to be the great obje6l of their fupreme 
afFeftion and homage. And will it not require equal 
exertions to fulfil the defigns of Heaven towards our 
rifing nation ? The world are in arms, and oppofed 
to our national profperity and exiftence. We muftj 
therefore, like the Israelites, fight our way to empire^ 
in oppofition to the power, and policy, and diforgan- 
izing principles of the mod formidable nations on 
earth. And it is much to be feared, that, while we 
have wars without, we fhall have fightings within, and 
alternately experience the dreadful calamities of def- 
potifm, anarchy, and confufion. There is even a 
prefent profpeft of perilous times, which will require 
the friends of virtue, of religion, and of government, 
to make more vigorous exertions in fupport of thefe 
important objefts, than they have yet been called to 
make. It teems,' that piety and patriotifm will be 
put to the fevereft trials. Chriftian rulers, chriftian 
minifters, and chriftian profeffors may foon have oc- 
cafion to exercife that zeal, and fortitude, and felf- 

denial 



Hi 

denial, which our pious anceftors and the primitive 
chriftians difplayed. It is to be expe&ed, that bold- 
er attacks will be made upon our civil and religious 
privileges, by thofe who are bent upon banifhing all 
religion and government from the earth, whenever 
they can get more power into their hands. And it 
is evident, their power is at prefent increafing; and 
it will certainly continue to increafe, unlefs the mod 
wife and vigorous meafures are purfued to reftrain 
it, God is now loudly proclaiming, that we have 
much to do to maintain his caufe, and promote his 
defigns, in oppofuion to his, and our enemies. 

5. This fubjeft teaches us how we ought to feel and 
to a&, in our prefent fituation. Our feelings and con- 
duft ought to be in conformity with the paft and pre- 
fent difpenfations of divine providence towards us. 
It appears from the conduft of God, that he has been 
pleafed to make us his favorite people, and to hold 
us up to the view of the world, as the obje&s of his 
peculiar regard. He loved our fathers, and fuffered 
no weapon nor defign formed againft them to profper. 
Pie remarkably aflifted and fucceeded us in our long 
and diftreffing Struggles for liberty and independ- 
ence. He has fince enabled us to eftablifh and 
maintain an excellent constitution of .government, 
and to defeat all the attempts, which have been 
rcade to involve us in anarchy and confufiom 

While 



*5 

While other nations are groaning under all the 
calamities of war, he allows us to dwell in peace 
and fafety. And while the rights of confcience 
and the means of public worfhip are denied to 
other nations, he permits us to enjoy his Word and 
Ordinances, without the leaft compulfion or re- 
ftraint. Thefe great and diftinguifhing favors 
call for our warmeft gratitude to our divine Ben- 
efactor. We ought to remember, with the moft 
grateful emoti.ons of heart, the years of the right 
hand of thb Moft High, and devoutly praife him for 
the civil and religious, the public and private 
bleffings, which he has fo liberally beftowed upon 
our nation. There is nothing more difpleafing 
to God in his peculiar people, than ingratitude. 
And if we murmur and repine under all our civil 
and religious advantages, he may juftly upbraid 
us in this pointed language : " Hear, O heavens : 
and give ear, O earth : I have nourifhed and 
brought up children, and they have rebelled a- 
gainft me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the 
afs his mafters crib : but my people do not know, 
they will not confider." 

The goodnefs of God to us his favorite people, 
demands our confidence as well as our gratitude. 
Since he has never forfaken us, but always appear- 
ed on our fide, when men rofe up againft us, we 
D ought 



26 



ought to confide in his care and proteftion, in 
thefe perilous times. We may be allured, thai 
he will not give us up to riilri, as long as his own 
glory requires our exigence and profperity. 
Though he may try us and chaftife us for our deep 
declenfions, yet he will in due time interpofe for 
our relief and deliverance. He feems to have per- 
mitted our enemies to pufh their fchemes, and 
difclofe their defigns too faft, on purpofe to^open 
our eyes to fee the deftru&ive nature of their vain 
philofophy, which threatens the fubverfion of our 
laws and religion. And their unhallowed zeal 
has 2t9tlally alarmed not only the virtuous part of 
our nation, but even many who were inclining to 
the caufe of infidelity. Thofe of this laft descrip- 
tion begin to believe and acknowledge, that the 
principles of virtue and piety are efTential to our 
political fafety and happinefs. It is eafy to fee, 
that God may make ufe of civil and religious de- 
lufiohs, to eftablifh the principles of true religion 
and good government. And it is our duty, at 
this day, to place an unfhaken confidence in him, 
to bring light out of darknefs, truth out of error, 
and order out of confufion. Let all ranks and 
claffes of men feel their dependence on God, and 
place their ultimate dependence on his almigfity 
protection* While all the powers of darknefs are 

feeking 



*7 

feeking their ruin. In God there is perfect fafe- 
ty. Our fathers trufted in him, and were deliv- 
ered. And the pious Pfalmift exhorts every claiis 
of people to truft in God, with full confidence of 
his prefence and prote&ion, in the midft of nation- 
al calamities. " O Ifrael, truft thou in the Lord : 
he is their help and their fhieid. Q houfe of Aa- 
ron, truft in the Lord : he is their help and their 
fhieid. Ye that fear the Lord, truft in the Lord : 
he is their help and their fhieid. The Lord hath 
been mindful of us : he will blefs us : he will blefs 
the houfe of Ifrael, he will blefs the houfe of 
Aaron. He will blefs them that fear the Lord, 
both fmall and great. The Lord will increafe 
you more and more, you and your children. Ye 
are bleffed of the Lord, who made heaven and 
earth." 

But faith without w r orks is dead. Confidence in 
God, without proper exertions,is prefumption. We 
fliall incur his difpleafure, if we hope for his pe- 
culiar favor, without acting as his peculiar people. 
We have no ground to expert, that God will af- 
ford us his peculiar affiftance, unlefs we ufe all the 
means in our power to defend ourfelves. And 
thefe we have great encouragement to ufe. The 
objeft to be attained is of vaft magnitude, no- 
thing lefs than the preservation of a nation, def- 
ined 



*8 



tined to be the ornament and admiration of the 
world, and the feat of virtue, piety, and happi- 
nefs. Let us, therefore, take courage, and with 
united ardor and zeal, repel every weapon form- 
ed and pointed againft us. If we would promote 
the great ends, for which it hath pleafed the 
Lord to raife us up and fet us apart for himfelf, 
we muft avoid all unneceffary intercourfe and 
connexions with thofe apoftate and infidel nations, 
who are aiming to corrupt and deftroy us. We 
muft feel and exprefs a proper deteftation of their 
religious and political delufions. We muft guard 
the rifing generation againft their vain philofophy 
and deftruftive fentiments in morals, religion, and 
government. We muft maintain a warm and 
perfevering attachment to our own excellent re- 
ligious and political inftitutions. We muft be 
careful to fill our churches, our legiflatures, our 
courts, and all our public and private fchools, 
with men of found principles in morals and re- 
ligion. We muft learn to diftinguifh good gov- 
ernment from tyrannny on the one hand, and from 
that liberty which is licentioufnefs, on the other. 
We muft imbibe the fpirit and follow the exam- 
ple of our pious anceftors^ who were no lefs en- 
gaged to promote the purity and profperity of 
the churchy than the fafety and happinefs of the 

ftate, 



*9 

ftate. Our firft and principal exertions are to 
be made, in fupport of religion, which is the on- 
ly bafis t that can fupport our free and efficient 
government ; and which is the only thing that 
can properly denominate us the peculiar people 
of God. 

And while we are fincerely engaged to promote 
his caufe, we may lincerely and fervently pray, 
jthat his bleffing may attend our exertions. We 
have always found him a prayer hearing God. For 
« what nation is there now fo great, who has had 
God fo nigh unto them as the Lord our God has 
been in all things we have called upon him for ?" 
How often did our fathers faft and pray, in the 
times of their diftrefs ? and how often did God 
hear and anfwer their requefts ? How often have 
fheir pious pofterity imitated their pious example, 
and have found it not a vain thing, to call upon 
God ? Our late public deliverances have been 
evidently granted in anfwer to our public and u- 
pited fallings and prayers. Let us now, there- 
fore, carry all our own interefts in fubordination to 
the interefts of Zion, to the throne of divine grace, 
in the fpirit and language of God's peculiar peo- 
ple. " Help us, O God of our falvation, for 
the glory of thy name : and deliver us, and purge 
away our fins for thy name's fake. Wherefore 

(hould 



go 

fhould the heathen fay, Where is their God ? let 
him be known among the heathen in our fight, by 
the c$yenging of the blood of thy fervants which 
is flied* And render unto our neighbors feven 
fold into their bofom, their reproach wherewith 
they have reproached thee, O Lord. So we the 
people and fheep of thy pafture will give thee 
thanks forever : we will (hew forth thy praife to 
all generations." AMEN- 



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